Mesotherapy injects substances into the superficial tissue to improve the quality of the skin or reduce small deposits of fat. It is a finishing treatment, not an alternative to surgery.
Very different things live under the same name. On one side are revitalising mesotherapies, which deliver non-cross-linked hyaluronic acid, vitamins or amino acids to improve the hydration and radiance of the skin of the face, the neck or the hands. On the other is injectable lipolysis, which uses substances capable of breaking down fat cells — deoxycholic acid is the best supported — in small deposits such as the double chin or around the navel.
Two things have to be said without hedging. First: none of these treatments serves to lose weight or to treat significant volumes of fat; their reach is measured in centimetres, not in dress sizes. Second: this is the area where products without a health licence are most often injected, with compounded formulas of unknown composition and disproportionate promises. Here only product with a current licence is used, from its original packaging and shown to you before it is applied.
It usually helps when there is
- Small, localised deposits of fat, such as the double chin or mild flanks.
- Dull, dehydrated skin on the face, neck, décolletage or hands.
- Touching up a small area after liposuction, once the months have passed.
- A stable weight and habits already settled.
- A preference for a treatment with no downtime, accepting its limited reach.
Worth discussing first if
- Excess weight or an aim of losing weight: this is not the treatment.
- Fat of significant volume, where liposuction gives a different result.
- Lax skin: lipolysis can accentuate it by removing volume.
- Clotting disorders or infection in the area.
- Current pregnancy or breastfeeding.
None of these rules the procedure out on its own; all of them change the conversation.
Two treatments under one name
They are chosen by goal: quality of the skin, or reduction of a small fatty deposit.
Revitalising mesotherapy
Non-cross-linked hyaluronic acid, vitamins or amino acids in the superficial plane of the skin. It improves hydration, radiance and texture. Series of three to five sessions.
Injectable lipolysis
Deoxycholic acid or other lipolytics in small deposits, above all the double chin. It produces noticeable swelling for several days after each session.
Combined with other treatments
It is often built into a plan with biostimulators, peels or toxin, which is where it tends to give more than on its own.
What is injected, and who injects it
The rule is simple and admits no exception: product with a current health licence, in its original packaging, shown to you before it is applied. So-called compounded formulas of undeclared composition — very widespread in this field — offer no guarantee about what they contain or how the tissue will react, and the complications they produce can be permanent.
The technique of lipolysis demands respect for the plane and for the amounts per point: injecting superficially or concentrating product produces ulcers and skin necrosis. In the double chin, the course of the marginal branch of the facial nerve also has to be kept in mind.
And a warning about reach: when the volume to be treated is real, this will not resolve it. It is better said at the first consultation than after five sessions have been paid for.
What the treatment is like
Short series of sessions weeks apart, in the consulting room.
Consultation
Whether the case calls for mesotherapy, lipolysis, surgery or none of the three is assessed. Product, number of sessions and the result to expect are defined.
Before the session
Stopping anti-inflammatories where possible. The informed consent is signed, and it includes the name of the product used.
The session
The product is shown in its packaging, the area is marked and it is injected at multiple points with a fine needle. With lipolysis you are warned about the swelling over the following days.
Later sessions and review
Every four to six weeks depending on the product, with the result assessed before deciding whether to continue.
What to expect afterwards
Revitalising mesotherapy is barely noticeable; lipolysis considerably more so.
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Days 1 to 3
With revitalisation, small raised bumps that settle within hours and the odd bruise. With lipolysis, significant swelling of the area, which is the expected reaction.
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Days 4 to 10
The swelling gradually subsides. The area may stay firm or tender to the touch for a few more days.
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Weeks 3 to 6
The effect of the session is assessed and the next one decided. With revitalisation, the skin looks more hydrated and brighter.
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Months 3 to 6
The cumulative result of the series. It is maintained with stable habits; without them, the fat comes back.
Risks, and what is not promised
What is usual is mild: pain during the injection, bruising, swelling and tenderness. With lipolysis, the swelling can be marked and last several days. Less frequent but possible: nodules, contour irregularities, ulcers or skin necrosis from superficial injection, infection and temporary altered sensation. In the double chin, injury to the marginal branch of the facial nerve with an asymmetrical smile, usually temporary.
The greatest risk in this field is not technical but one of product: mixtures of undeclared composition can produce chronic inflammation, granulomas and permanent tissue damage. It is the reason why only product with a current health licence is used here.
No weight loss, no reduction in dress size and no result equivalent to liposuction are promised. These risks are reduced by authorised product, correct plane and dose, and an honest indication. They are not eliminated. The ones that apply to your case are explained to you in the consultation and are set down in writing in the informed consent.
The information on this page is for guidance and does not replace an in-person medical consultation. Medical practice is an obligation of means, not of result.
The questions we are asked most about mesotherapy
No. No injectable treatment makes you lose weight: they act on small, localised deposits, not on body weight.
If the goal is to lose weight, what is called for is a nutrition and activity plan, and in some cases an endocrine assessment. Aesthetic medicine comes afterwards, for whatever remains localised.
No. Its reach is centimetres in small areas; liposuction works with volumes of a different order and sculpts the contour.
Where it does fit well is a small, localised deposit, or as a touch-up to a particular area months after surgery.
A product with a current health licence, shown to you in its original packaging before it is applied and whose name is written into the consent form.
It is a question you should always ask, in any clinic. If the answer is vague or the product comes in an unlabelled bottle, do not let them inject it.
The cells destroyed do not come back, but the ones left can grow if you put on weight. In a small area that shows quickly.
That is why this treatment makes sense at a stable weight, and not as part of a plan to lose kilos.
Question not answered here? There are more answers in the frequently asked questions.
